Coupling for electric conductors.



J. L. HINDS.

COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC GONDUGTORS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1909.

939,689. I Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

WITNESSES: 9 I v Y VENT R ATTORNEXS mirromam orri oa.

JESSE L. mnzos, or synacoss, new YORK, Assren'on TO cnotrsnormnscontrast 7, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPGRATION or NEW Yeas.

COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC CGN'DUCTOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1mm.

Application filed April. 1, 1908. Seri.a.1 No. 48?,125.

Syracuse, in jthe county of Onondaga and.

State of New York, have invented a certa n new and useful Coupling forElectric specification.

My invention has for its object. the production of aparticularly'siinple and eiiicient coupling for electric conductors, andit consists in the combinations and construetions hereinafter forth andclaimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing in which like characters designate corresponding; parts in allthe views. v

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one form of my coupling,contiguous ends of conductors or ables connected thereby being alsoshown. F igs. end and side elevations of one of thesleeves. Thiscoupling comprises, generally, an outer section I, an inner section 2,and a sleeve 3'in said sections. in the illustrated form of myinyention, I have shown two outer sections 1 receiving opposite ends ofthe inner section, but it is obvious that one of said outer sections maybe dispensed with, if desired. The outer section 1 is formed with apassage 4 for the naked end of a conductor 5, a threaded passagel;alined with the passage 4 and of greater diameter than the same, and anannular shoulder 7 arranged at the inner end of the threaded passage ata right angle to the axis of the grooves 11, located equal distancesfrom each Lonductors, of which the tollowing isaand 3 are, respectively,

section 1. -Tl1c inner section 2 is externally 5 threaded and turns intothe threaded passage (J of the outer section, and is termed with aconical bore 8, having itsllargcr end v arranged toward the shoulder lof the outer section. As illustrated, when the couplnig .is providedwith two outer sections, one at each end, both ends of the inner sectionare threaded and provided with conical bores, but if one of the outersections is dispensed with one end of the inner section may be otherwiseformed.

One end of tip. a shoulder or face it disposed at a. right angle to theaxis of the outer section and engaging the annular shoulder T oftheoutor section, and its other end is tapered andfprojects into theconical bore of the inner section. The inncrface of the sleeve iscontinuous, and

as seen in Fig. 2; the sleeve is provided with shaped in 'cros' thinflexible portions 10 rendering the sleeve contractile. As illustrated,the sleeve is mo vided with said flexible portions by torninigin itsperiphery a plurality of lcngthwii e .=ther, these qrooycs beingsubstantially V- section and having; their (JP-- posing wallsincliningin the same general direction, one wall of each groove beingdisposed substantially tangential to the bore of the sleeve adjacent tothe opposite wall of the groove. By forming the walls of the grooves L1as described. earl: groove is provided at one side thereof with a walldecreasing in thickness toward the juncture of the Walls of the grooveand terminating in a thin, flexible lengthwise portion 10 which bucklesinwardly as the sleeve is compressed. and permits the contiguous pmtionof said wall to more relatively to the opposite wall of the groin-e in adirection sul.:stantially tangential to the bore of the sleeve.Preferably, the sit-ere also pro vided with lengthwise peripheralgrooves 152 alternating with the grooves 11 for facilitating thecompressing or contracting of the sleeve upon the conductor. The slcei'e3 may, however, be provided. with only one of the flexible portions 10,or if desired, said sleere may be provided with a plurality oi. saidportions 10 located unequal distances from each other. Moro-arr, thesleeve 3 may be unprovided with the grooves 12 or may be provided withbut one of said grooves.

In operation, the naked end of a (-011- ductor or cable 5 is insertedthrough the outer section into the sleeve 3, and as the sections 1 and 2are drawn toward each other by turning either one or the other, the a:nular shoulder 7 of the outer section 1 engages the shoulder or face i)of the "sleeve 3, forcing said sleeve into the conical bore oi the innerse tion and thereby compressing the r 5 walls of the grooves 11 providedwith said sleeve 3 is provided with 1 portions 10 more relatively to theopposite walls of the grooves in a direction substantially tangential tothe bore of the sleeve, thus adapting the sleeve for use on electricconductors of difierent diameters. It will be particularly noted that asthe "inner face of the sleeve 3 is continuo= there is no liability ofanyportion or strand of the con- 'ductor being caught between separatedparts of thesleeve, as would be the case were the inner face of thesleeve slotted.

As will be obvious to those skilled in the:

art, the construction and arrangement of the shoulder 9 and the taperedend of the sleeve 3 and the coacting parts of'thc sections 1' and 2effecta particularly powerful compression of the sleeve and a highlyefiicient ve1'ectrical'contact between the sleeve and the prising acompressible sleeve and means-for compressing the same, the sleevehaving a smooth unbroken bore for receiving a convduc'tor and makingelectrical contact therewith throughout substantially the extent of saidbore, said sleeve having a lengthwise groove in its periph g'y, theopposing Walls of the grop veirichnl g in the same general see 639thegroove, whereby the groove is provided at'one slde thereof with awall de reasing inthickness toward the juncture of said opposingwallsa-nd terminating in a thin, flex ble,

lengthwise portion which buckles inwardly as the sleeve is compressedand permits the contiguous portion ofsa'id wall to move relatively tothe opposite wall of the groove in a directionsubstantially tangentialto the bore of the sleeve, thu's avoiding injury to the conductor andadapting the sleevefor use on electric conductors ofditferent'dianieters. I I

In testimony whereof, I have'h'ereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo attesting witnesses, at Syracuse in the county of Onondaga, in theState of New York, this 29th dayof March, 1909. 1 v

- p j JESSE L. MINDS. Witnesses: V 4

S. I AVIS, Fnnnnnro G. lsonunn.

